Auburn’s JaTarvious Whitlow (28) is seen with no pads after the game at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018. Auburn defeated Southern Miss 24-13. Whitlow left the game in the first half with an injury. Jake Crandall

Auburn’s Jarrett Stidham (8) is escorted by a couple of young fans as he walks off the field at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018. Auburn defeated Southern Miss 24-13. Jake Crandall

The sun comes out and a rainbow is see as fans and players wait for a weather delay at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018. Auburn leads Southern Miss 14-3, the game went into a weather delay with 4:27 left in the second quarter. Jake Crandall

Players, fans, workers take cover during a weather delay at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018. Auburn leads Southern Miss 14-3, the game went into a weather delay with 4:27 left in the second quarter. Jake Crandall

Fans get under cover during a weather delay at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018. Auburn leads Southern Miss 14-3, the game went into a weather delay with 4:27 left in the second quarter. Jake Crandall

A pom-pom and popcorn tub is left behind in the bleachers at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018. Auburn leads Southern Miss 14-3, the game went into a weather delay with 4:27 left in the second quarter. Jake Crandall

Rain trickles down the bleachers at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018. Auburn leads Southern Miss 14-3, the game went into a weather delay with 4:27 left in the second quarter. Jake Crandall

Fans get under cover during a weather delay at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018. Auburn leads Southern Miss 14-3, the game went into a weather delay with 4:27 left in the second quarter. Jake Crandall

Fans get under cover during a weather delay at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018. Auburn leads Southern Miss 14-3, the game went into a weather delay with 4:27 left in the second quarter. Jake Crandall

Auburn players head to the locker room after a weather delay is announced with 4:27 left in the second quarter of the Auburn-Southern Miss game at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018. Jake Crandall

Southern Miss’ Jack Abraham (15) throws the ball down the field against Auburn at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018. Auburn leads Southern Miss 14-3, the game went into a weather delay with 4:27 left in the second quarter. Jake Crandall

Southern Miss’ Parker Shaunfield (21) kicks a field goal against Auburn at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018. Auburn leads Southern Miss 14-3, the game went into a weather delay with 4:27 left in the second quarter. Jake Crandall

Auburn’s Jarrett Stidham (8) looks to throw a pass against Southern Miss at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018. Auburn leads Southern Miss 14-3, the game went into a weather delay with 4:27 left in the second quarter. Jake Crandall

Auburn’s Jarrett Stidham (8) hands the ball off to Auburn’s Kam Martin (9) at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018. Auburn leads Southern Miss 14-3, the game went into a weather delay with 4:27 left in the second quarter. Jake Crandall

Auburn’s Kam Martin (9) is taken down by a swarm of Southern Miss defenders at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018. Auburn leads Southern Miss 14-3, the game went into a weather delay with 4:27 left in the second quarter. Jake Crandall

Auburn’s Kam Martin (9) runs the ball down the field against Southern Miss at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018. Auburn leads Southern Miss 14-3, the game went into a weather delay with 4:27 left in the second quarter. Jake Crandall

Auburn’s Seth Williams (18) drops a pass guarded by Southern Miss’ Ty Williams (7) at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018. Auburn leads Southern Miss 14-3, the game went into a weather delay with 4:27 left in the second quarter. Jake Crandall

Auburn’s Jarrett Stidham (8) throws the ball under pressure against Southern Miss at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018. Auburn leads Southern Miss 14-3, the game went into a weather delay with 4:27 left in the second quarter. Jake Crandall

Auburn’s Jordyn Peters (15) celebrates after scooping up a fumbled snap at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018. Auburn leads Southern Miss 14-3, the game went into a weather delay with 4:27 left in the second quarter. Jake Crandall

Auburn’s Jarrett Stidham (8) looks to throw down field against Southern Miss at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018. Auburn leads Southern Miss 14-3, the game went into a weather delay with 4:27 left in the second quarter. Jake Crandall

Auburn’s Jarrett Stidham (8) scrambles out of the pocket against Southern Miss at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018. Auburn leads Southern Miss 14-3, the game went into a weather delay with 4:27 left in the second quarter. Jake Crandall

Auburn’s JaTarvious Whitlow (28) struggles to evade a swarm of Southern Miss defenders at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018. Auburn leads Southern Miss 14-3, the game went into a weather delay with 4:27 left in the second quarter. Jake Crandall

Auburn’s Seth Williams (18) catches a pass and runs into the end zone for a touchdown at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018. Auburn leads Southern Miss 14-3, the game went into a weather delay with 4:27 left in the second quarter. Jake Crandall

Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn, left, leads his team out on to the field at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018. Auburn leads Southern Miss 14-3, the game went into a weather delay with 4:27 left in the second quarter. Jake Crandall

Southern Miss’ Tez Parks (8) is taken down by Auburn’s Darrell Williams (49) at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018. Auburn leads Southern Miss 14-3, the game went into a weather delay with 4:27 left in the second quarter. Jake Crandall

The Auburn band plays the National Anthem at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018. Auburn leads Southern Miss 14-3, the game went into a weather delay with 4:27 left in the second quarter. Jake Crandall

Fans wave pom-poms during the start of the game at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018. Auburn leads Southern Miss 14-3, the game went into a weather delay with 4:27 left in the second quarter. Jake Crandall

Auburn’s Jordyn Peters (15) pulls down Southern Miss’ Tim Jones (87) at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018. Auburn leads Southern Miss 14-3, the game went into a weather delay with 4:27 left in the second quarter. Jake Crandall

Auburn’s Jordyn Peters (15) celebrates a tackle with Javaris Davis (13) at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018. Auburn leads Southern Miss 14-3, the game went into a weather delay with 4:27 left in the second quarter. Jake Crandall

Auburn’s Kam Martin (9) is taken down by a swarm of Southern Miss defenders at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018. Auburn leads Southern Miss 14-3, the game went into a weather delay with 4:27 left in the second quarter.(Photo: Jake Crandall)

AUBURN — Gus Malzahn admitted that he probably sounded like a broken record, because he had already said it multiple times before. But the sixth-year head coach really believed Saturday would be the game Auburn’s offense finally hit its stride.

Week 5 has been kind to his teams in the past. Last year, the Tigers throttled Mississippi State by 39 points. The year before, they handed Louisiana-Monroe a 51-point drubbing.

No. 10 Auburn did win Saturday, handling Southern Miss 24-13 to improve to 4-1 on the season. But it wasn’t exactly the offensive breakout Malzahn was looking for, especially with the team’s first true road game of the season at Mississippi State coming up next Saturday in Starkville, Miss.

Sure, it was an improvement from last week’s 34-3 win over Arkansas. The Tigers got to that score thanks to a number of huge plays from the defense and special teams that set up short fields. They only gained 225 yards in that game, which was the program’s lowest total in a victory since the 2006 Cotton Bowl.

Against the Golden Eagles, the Tigers racked up 341 yards in a game that featured a weather delay of nearly three hours. A large portion of those yards came on touchdown drives of 47, 73 and 71 yards, which were the positives.

The first of those featured a 46-yard touchdown pass from Jarrett Stidham to Seth Williams, which was the first of the freshman wide receiver’s career. Stidham also hit Darius Slayton for a gain of 53 to set up the third touchdown.

Those plays were the second- and third-longest pass plays of the season for Auburn, and they came against a defense that had allowed one passing play of 40 or more yards this season and none of 50 or more.

Auburn’s Seth Williams (18) catches a pass and runs into the end zone for a touchdown at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018. Auburn leads Southern Miss 14-3, the game went into a weather delay with 4:27 left in the second quarter.(Photo: Jake Crandall)

Still, much of the game was a slog. Outside of Anthony Schwartz’ 6-yard touchdown run and Chandler Cox’s 2-yard scoring reception from Stidham, there weren’t many highlights from the offense.

Top running back JaTarvious Whitlow suffered a left shoulder injury in the second quarter that forced him to miss the rest of the game. Starting tackles Jack Driscoll and Prince Tega were lost for the game in the second half, too, and that line already struggled to protect Stidham or create much room for a stagnant run game.

Anders Carlson had a 53-yard field goal attempt partially blocked before he made the one that sealed the win from 23 late in the fourth quarter.

But there is good news: The defense was stout when it needed to be, and the special teams unit continued their strong play. What’s more: Mississippi State, Auburn’s next opponent, lost to Florida.

In their last two games, the Bulldogs have totaled just 403 yards and 13 points. So the Tigers won’t be the only struggling offense in Starkville next week.